56 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



This plant is called St. John's-wort, because it was supposed, in olden 

 times, to have the power of keeping off evil spirits, which were supposed 

 to be particularly busy on St. J ohn's night. It is said that the custom 

 is still followed, in the retired parts of the Pyrenees, of hanging gar- 

 lands of the herb over the doors to preserve the inmates of the house 

 from " storms, thunder, heretics, and other evil spirits." 



Order YIII. CAETOPHTLLA'CE.^. (Pink Family.) 



Herbs, with stems tumid at the nodes or joints, with opposite, often connate, entire leaves, 

 usually without stipules, and mostly regular flowers. Calyx of 4 - 5 sepals, distinct or more 

 or less cohering — often united into a tube. Corolla of 4 - 5 petals — or sometimes wanting. 

 Stamens as m.a.ny — or commonly twice as many — as the petals. Styles, or stigmas, 2- b. 

 Capsule 2 - 5-valved — or opening only at apex by twice as many teeth or valve-points as 

 stigmas. Seeds curved, mostly numerous : embryo coiled around the outside of mealy 

 albumen 



An Order, comprising about 30 genera, and a great number of species, — some of them 

 (such as the Pinks) are very pretty and fragrant : but none of agricultural value. 



The greater number of the representatives of the family growing wild, with us, are 

 weeds which, with few exceptions, are not very troublesome, but as several are very 

 frequent in cultivated lands and are likely to attract the notice of farmers, descriptions of 

 the most common ones are given. 



^1. Pink Sub-family. Sepals united into a tubular calyx. Petals 5, each with a long 

 slender claw and with the stamens borne on the stalk of the ovary. Pod opening at the 

 apex. 



Calyx with leafy lobes, which are longer than the petals. Styles 5. 1. Agrostemma. 



Calyx without leafy lobes, cylindrical, even. Styles 2.' 2. Saponaria. 



§ 2. CfflCKWEED ScB-FAMXY. Sepals distinct or nearly so. Petals (some- 

 times wanting) without claws, inserted with the stamens at the base of 

 sessile ovary. Pod sphtting into valves or opening by teeth, few - 

 many-seeded. 



Pod 3-celled, many -seeded. Petals none. 3. Mollugo. 



Podl-celled. Styles 3-5. 

 Stipules none. 



Styles 5. Petals 5. Pcd opening by 10 teeth. . 4. Cerastium:. 



Styles 3-4. Pod sphtting into valves. 5. Stet.t.aria. 



Leaves with scaly stipules. 



Styles 5. Leaves thread-like, whorled. 6. Spergula. 



1. AGE.OSTEM'MA, L. Corn-cockle. 



[Name from the Greek, meaning crown of the field.] 



Calyx tubular, without scales at the base, with 5 long leaf-like teeth 

 which fall off iu fruiting. Petals 5, not crowned at the throat. Stamens 

 10. Styles 5. Pod opening at the top by 5 teeth. Annual or biennial. 

 1. A. Githa'go, L. Hairy ; leaves lance-linear, acute ; petals obovate 

 emarginate. 



Gith-like Agrostemma. Corn-cockle. Eose-campion. 



Fr. La Nielle des Bles. Germ. Gemeine Eade. Span. Neguillon. 



PZa?ii clothed with long appressed hairs. iZooi annual, ^'fem 2-4 feet high, branched 

 above. jLeaws 3 - 5 inches long . Pedwndes terminal, 4-8 or 10 inches long. PetoZs red- 

 dish or pale violet-purple. Capsule ovoid. Seeds numerous, muricately ribbed, purplish- 

 black. 



Cultivated grounds — chiefly among wheat and rye : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. 

 June Fr. July. 



